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I will be up at Squaw Valley this weekend and hope to see some of you there

I looked for you and never found you!I'll assume that you didn't make it up. (?)

It was another great year, and no event will treat you as well as Squaw does. Free ride up the mountain in the tram, free lunch, free dinner, free swimming, free jacuzi, even ice skating if you wanted.

Hi Dano,I was there. I broke my manta due to one of the wonderful gusts of wind as I was about to launch in the morning. I didn't want to break my ichiban with those crazy shifting winds so I flew a few stacks, helped some new people and let other fly some of my foils. It was a great day even though I left before the dinner. It was nice to meet some of the Reno/truckee/ nevada folk. I was all setup to fly and used my new dog leash carabiner(thanks Mike) to launch a majestic prism foldaway diamond via a double larkshead(thanks George). I really appreciate all the great answers I have gotten to my question.ThanksBryanP.S. The do treat you nice at squaw but what a claustrophobic ride down with 60 people and 4 bags of kites in the tram.

a) Any already present anchor (good tree, cement block etc..)b) car tire (a bit problematic, since its quite an expensive anchor is you want to fly more than 1 big kite hehehe)c) sand anchor from Gomberg (only good if you are on the sand)d) bag full'o'sand with cables wrapped around it. (Takes quite some time to get the sand in and out).e) Shelter/Auger anchors (30" length). Marvelous!!! But if they fail for some reason, having flying metal is not good... so thats why they are last

For my big stuff I use the trailer hitch on my Jeep. I use a 3" rapide link to attach to the pin, then a nylon strap, then the kite line. I guarantee the line will break before the anchor point budges. Much quicker and easier than any stake system, and its easily movable if the wind direction shifts.

Hi SamThe manta was not even in the air. We were getting ready to launch it and a gust caught the lower leading edge between the ground and my sons leg. It broke at the ferrule and was definetly not any type of design problem. The winds were gusting to 20 mph that day. I would have liked to see how it flew in those winds with the heavy spreader. I have had it up in next to nothing and the manta glides great. Bryan

Hi SamThe manta was not even in the air. We were getting ready to launch it and a gust caught the lower leading edge between the ground and my sons leg. It broke at the ferrule and was definetly not any type of design problem.

If the hitch is on the back, and it's rear wheel drive and the parking brake is on the back wheels, what happens if the kite lifts the rear end up? Takes a lot of kite, Dave G. told me about it at Ocean Shores, happened with some octopi I believe. Now I put my nylon strap around the bottom of the front wheel. Works good through 500# line, that's the biggest I've got.

Whoa! You guys have kites that'll lift a Jeep? Tell me about them, inquiring minds want to know. So how do YOU tie them down? Man I don't need anything like that. Its everything I can do to get what I've got already down sometimes.

Hello allI have recently picked up a few single line kites(itchiban, mantis MANTA, etc) and wanted to get some sugestions on securing the kite to the ground.

I fly inland. For the kites you mention, not much of a stake is needed. I use a long screw driver for my stakes for kites of this ilk. For small, light pulling kites I have even used gutter nails when flying over grass.

For the bigger/strong pulling kites I use something different.

Some people around here use the dog screw stakes. I don't like 'em, though.

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